Breadcrumb

Helping women earn a better living and improve their crafts through a commercial cooperative

Helping women earn a better living and improve their crafts through a commercial cooperative

Ambassador Carol McQueen with the female artisans.

In February, Ambassador Carol McQueen spent an afternoon in El Aroussa village in Siliana Governorate, about 100 km from Tunis, with the women who are participating in a project funded by the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives.

GIE Siliana Artisanat, our Tunisian partner, is helping a group of about 25 women to improve the quality of their weaving and to band together in a commercial cooperative so they can better earn a living from their craft work.

Ambassador McQueen was impressed by the skill and determination of the female artisans, and enjoyed sharing lunch with them and seeing them working at their craft. She was especially touched by the hand-made gift the women gave to the Canadian Embassy: a woven wall-hanging with the Canadian and Tunisian flags.

This tribute to the strong friendship between Canadians and Tunisians will now adorn the Canadian embassy's reception area. The Ambassador also bought two small woven rugs coloured with natural dyes for her two daughters.

The Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI) provides modest financial contributions to small civil society organizations for projects intended to improve the lives of Tunisians.